THE FIVE ACT PLAY

Structures of a Play
Plays first originated in ancient Greece. Aristotle was one of the first
to write about drama and describe its three segments; beginning,
middle, and end. Over time, dramas evolved, the Roman poet,
Horace advocated for five acts, and many centuries later, a German
playwright, Gustav Freytag, developed the five-act structure
commonly used today to analyze classical and Shakespearean
dramas.
The pattern of this five-act structure can be seen in the
familiar plot diagram:
THE THREE ACT STRUCTURE
Aristotle believed that every piece of poetry or drama must have a beginning, middle and end.
These divisions were developed by the Roman, Aelius Donatus, and called Protasis, Epitasis, and
Catastrophe. The three-act structure has seen a revival in recent years, as cinema blockbusters
and hit TV shows have adopted it.

THE FIVE ACT STRUCTURE

The five act structure expands the classical divisions and can be overlaid on a traditional plot diagram, as
it follows the same five parts. Shakespearean plays especially are known for following this structure
FORMAT OF A FIVE ACT STRUCTURE
• Act 1: The Exposition: here, the audience learns the setting (Time/Place), characters are
developed, and a conflict is introduced.
• Act 2: Rising Action: the action of this act leads the audience to the climax. It is common for
complications to arise, or for the protagonist to encounter obstacles.
• Act 3: The Climax: this is the turning point of the play. The climax is characterized by the
highest amount of suspense.
• Act 4: Falling Action: the opposite of Rising Action, in the Falling Action the story is coming to
an end, and any unknown details or plot twists are revealed and erapped up.
• Act 5: Denouement of Resolution: this is the final outcome of the drama. Here the authors tone
about his or her subject matter is revealed, and sometimes a moral or lesson is learned.
ROMEO AND JULIET
ACT 1: THE EXPOSITION
• Setting: Verona Italy, 16th or 17th century
• Characters: Capulets and Montagues, specially, Romeo and Juliet
• Conflict: The Montagues and Capulets are feuding

ACT 2: RISING ACTION

• Romeo and Juliet fall in love but cannot be together because their families do
not like each other. They decide to get married in secret
ACT 3: THE CLIMAX
• After crashing the Capulet party, Tybalt goes after the Montague crew and kills Mercutio
• To avenge his friend, Romeo duels with and kills Tybalt – Juliet’s cousin
• Romeo is banished, but before he goes he gives Juliet a proper wedding night

ACT 4: FALLING ACTION

• Juliet’s parents arrange a marriage for her to Paris
• She and the Friar have an elaborate plan to get her out of a second marriage by faking her
death. Part of this plan is that Romeo will receive a letter saying she’s not dead
• Romeo – never having received the letter – thinks Juliet has died
• Romeo buys poison and goes to her tomb to commit suicide
ACT 5: DENOUEMENT OR RESOLUTION
• Romeo confronts Paris at Juliet’s tomb, and slays him before taking his own life
• Juliet awakens from her sleeping potion to see Romeo has committed suicide
• She takes his dagger and kills herself
• The Friar and Nurse explain to the Capulet and Montague families that the two
lovers were married in secret
• Both families are saddened by the situation, and vow to end their long-standing
feud
GROUP PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENT
1. Select one of inspirational movies with important
life lessons to learn
2. Write the synopsis of that movie
3. Explain the structures of the movie using the five
act play
4. Each group should present different movie